Harris Lieberman is pleased to announce Berlin-based artist
Alicja Kwade’s first solo exhibition in New York. Referencing art historica
l tradition\, notions of surrealism and theories of natural sciences\, Kwad
e explores our innate understanding of subject and object relations by enga
ging the body as a sculptural tool in space and manipulating the physical p
roperties of materials.

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The main gallery will feature works that ex
plore transitions between reality and illusion. Heavy Weight of Light\, a w
ork that spans the length of the gallery is composed of ten objects made of
various raw materials--mirror\, wood\, and copper—that slouch in unison ag
ainst the wall in opposition to the nature of their respective products. An
other work\, Future in the Past\, is comprised of two 1930s-era antique clo
cks hung facing one another. One clock is slightly smaller and runs faster
and slower\, each manipulating the viewer’s perception of time. An adjacent
work Looking Glass is composed of shards of 70 crushed and accidently brok
en mirrors that cascade in a pile on the floor. The shards that compose the
installation have been pulverized\, devoid of light\, virility\, and refle
ction\, creating a contradiction between spatial expansion and constriction
.

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The rear gallery will feature a sound installation composed of ei
ght pocket watches and eight speakers hanging on chains from the ceiling. T
he tick-tock of the found pocket watches is amplified signifying the relent
less march of time.

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Alicja Kwade (b. 1979) earned a degree at the U
niversität der Künste\, Berlin. She has exhibited widely\, including solo e
xhibitions at the Kunsthal 44 Møen\, Denmark\; Johann König\, Berlin\; Hamb
urger Bahnhof\, Berlin\; Oldenburger Kunstverein\, Oldenburg. Her work has
been featured in group exhibitions at Sculpture Center\, New York\; Palais
de Tokyo\, Paris\; Witte de With\, Rotterdam\, The Netherlands\; CCA Wattis
Institute for Contemporary Art\, San Francisco\, and MACBA\, Barcelona.